This is the closest I'm likely to get to an official website - the place to announce & discuss all of my current & upcoming projects (comix, magazine articles & columns, fiction & metafiction, & music), & to share my thoughts on the arts, media, music, film, pop culture & politics. I'll publish for the first time online older writings from hard copy magazines & newspapers. I'll also post artwork, videos, or just blog away on whatever occupies my brain.

Monday, September 23, 2013

2013: Part Seven: Cinematherapy 4

Thanks to the joys of bootlegged video, I finally obtained a really nice print on DVD of the 1978 TV movie Dr. Strange (my favourite Marvel Comics character). I saw this two hour pilot when it was first broadcast, and even as a wee tot I was outraged by all the changes from the source material. I'd read Stan Lee's Origins of Marvel Comics at an obscenely young age, and I knew the story told in this film was not the origin of Dr. Strange as I knew it. Regardless, as time has gone by, I've learned to appreciate the TV pilot's many charms, and appreciate the basic spirit of it, which is admirably translated, albeit awkwardly, from the comics. So I'd call this one a semi-guilty pleasure. Though dated, it stands pretty well on its own apart from the comic. And Doc is given a killer costume similar to the one in the comics, but for some reason, he's given another costume at the end of the film that's garishly ugly.

I recently picked up several great films on DVD. Foremost among these is Abel Ferrara's masterpiece, Ms 45, the ultimate rape-revenge flick. I've always loved this movie, and its star, Zoe Tamerlis (who sadly died an early death) does an amazing job as Thana, the mute seamstress who becomes an avenging angel of the night after being raped twice (!) in one day. I also picked up William Lustig's finest film, Vigilante, starring Robert Forster and Fred Williamson, who contributes some of his best acting. Vigilante is highly evocative of John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, and the mood it sustains is nearly as powerful as Carpenter's film. Next up, I received The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a beautiful bittersweet romance starring Catherine Deneuve, who in my mind could do no wrong in the 60s. The dialogue is entirely sung, and much of the music is quite memorable. Director Jacques Demy did two other musicals (though not with every word sung, opera-like, but akin to standard musicals), one of which, Donkey Skin, is among my favourite films.

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With Honor

This eclectic collection of manga-style comix includes my story "Snow Leopard", featuring pencil art by Albert Luciano; inks by Alex Rivera; letters and tones by editor Shawnti Therrien; and was written, created, and designed by yours truly. Copies are now extremely scarce.

Creating Comics

In this trade paperback, I have a 4 page entry devoted to my storytelling process for SNOW LEOPARD. Published September 2010.

Genesis RIP 1992-2007 - friend, companion, familiar, soulmate

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My editor, collaborator and friend Shawnti Therrien

Shawnti edited 'With Honor' and aided and abetted "Snow Leopard". She also has her own killer site Immortal Gothic (click pic to travel there). Shawnti created and designed the distinctive graphics for She Never Slept, my ex-wife's former website, which hosted much work by myself and friends Sean Lee Levin and Heather Royston.

Henry Covert and Philip Jose Farmer, FarmerCon 2, August 2007

Four years ago, I finally met my all-time favorite writer. This was fortunate, as Mr.Farmer passed away in February 2009. The Maker of Universes has left ours behind for a far more radiant one. I love you, Phil.

RIP Ronnie James Dio July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010

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All contents of this blog, except where otherwise noted, are written and created by Henry Covert, and are copyright 2008-2017 by George Henry Smathers Jr. 'Strange Others', 'Strange Others by Henry Covert', and 'Henry Covert.com' were created 2007 by Henry Covert and are copyright 2007-2017 by George Henry Smathers Jr. All images copyright 2017 their respective copyright holders, save as noted otherwise.